New School New Oregon isn’t just a clever flight name — it’s a nod to the person who’s been mapping the wiring behind Pacific Northwest beer for a quarter century. While tap lists evolve and breweries bloom and contract like tidal pools, Ezra Johnson-Greenough has been documenting the infrastructure: distribution shifts, WARN filings, consolidation tremors, cider’s parallel arc, the slow tectonics beneath the froth. Before his New School Beer webmag became required reading for anyone who cares how beer actually moves from tank to tap, he was pouring it at Belmont Station, watching what sold, what stalled, and when the acceleration began. Not lifestyle. Not hype. Structural journalism. The quiet scaffolding of craft.
So this Wednesday Peaks & Pints New School New Oregon Beer Flight runs all day as the liquid sidecar to Grit & Grain Episodes 180 and 181, recorded from 3:30–5:30 p.m. in Peaks & Pints Events Room, where we get into the bones of it all — retail roots, festival architecture, Breakside and Upright insider years, the founding of New School in 2010, and the stories that nudged negotiations instead of just collecting clicks. The beers follow that arc: oak-aged farmhouse complexity, a trail-ready pilsner, a modern Oregon pale, a saturated haze, and a clear-eyed West Coast collaboration that still believes bitterness has a place at the table. Correction or evolution? Contraction or recalibration? Whatever we call it, this flight raises a glass to the archivist who’s been keeping the ledger.
Peaks & Pints New School New Oregon Beer Flight
Alesong Farmhouse Fusion
6.4% ABV | Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Saison | Eugene, Oregon
Refined wildness lives here. Farmhouse Fusion from Alesong Brewing & Blending spends time in French oak, where Brettanomyces sketches soft rustic edges around white grape brightness and sun-warmed tropical fruit. Strata and Nelson Sauvin lift the aromatics into orchard territory while Mosaic adds a subtle undercurrent of ripe depth. A gentle tannic grip from the barrel keeps everything in line, finishing dry and lightly tart — cellar craft meeting Oregon sunshine.
Double Mountain Pilsner
4.7% ABV | Czech-Style Pilsner | Hood River, Oregon
A classic slips into a 12-ounce can and suddenly it’s ready for the river. Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery keeps this pilsner crisp and luminous, all pale gold and tight foam, with fresh bread crust and a faint herbal flicker rising from the glass. The malt is clean and grainy, the bitterness precise, the finish snappy and refreshing. Old-world discipline, new-school portability — proof that elegance travels well.
Living Häus Nisu
5.9% ABV | PNW Pale Ale | Portland, Oregon
Collaboration rarely feels this effortless. Nisu began as a third-anniversary project from Living Häus Beer Co., pulling in the hop-obsessed minds at Ruse, Sunriver, and Brujos to sketch their version of the modern Northwest pale ale. Oregon-grown hops take the spotlight — Mosaic leading with bursts of citrus zest and ripe mango while a faint thread of dank pine keeps the whole affair anchored to the forest floor. The malt base stays lean and purposeful, letting the aromatics stretch out without weight, and the finish lands crisp and refreshing, like stepping from city pavement into the cool shade of Forest Park.
Kings & Daughters Filament
6.5% ABV | New England Style IPA | Hood River, Oregon
A soft orange glow hints at what’s coming: waves of mango and fresh-squeezed citrus rising before the glass even reaches your lips. Kings & Daughters Brewery leans into saturation with Filament, creating a plush body that carries intense hop oils while keeping bitterness restrained. A flicker of spice keeps the fruit in check, and the finish drifts out smooth and radiant. Texture-forward, aroma-driven, unmistakably contemporary.
Great Notion The Soughten
6.8% ABV | West Coast IPA | Portland, Oregon
Crystal clear and unapologetic, The Soughten stands tall in a world of haze. Great Notion Brewing and Breakside Brewery join forces here, layering grapefruit peel and bright citrus over a firm spine of pine-driven bitterness. The malt base stays lean and supportive, allowing the hops to carve clean lines across the palate. It closes brisk and confident, a reminder that structure and snap remain very much in style.
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